System and method for reorienting and decreasing patient anxiety in a medical facility

ABSTRACT

A computer system for reorienting, reducing anxiety, and/or reducing delirium risk of a patient in a hospital is provided. The computer has a central processing unit (CPU) for executing machine instructions for a passive and active module and a memory for storing the machine instructions. The machine instructions implement functions when executed by the CPU. Patient-specific content is inputted into the CPU. The system then communicates the patient-specific content from the CPU to the patient by displaying and looping the patient-specific content such that any point of the loop of the patient-specific content helps reorient and reduce anxiety and delirium risk.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/279,907 filed Oct. 24, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporatedin its entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to a system and method for reorienting,decreasing anxiety, and/or reducing delirium risk in a patient in amedical facility.

BACKGROUND

The mental condition of a hospitalized patient can pose serioustherapeutic challenges to medical care providers. Often, due tounderlying medical conditions, the patient may exhibit serious andpotentially life threatening psychological manifestations such asanxiety or delirium. Anxiety may be defined as a “state of intenseapprehension or fear of real or imagined danger.” Delirium may bedefined as a “state of marked confusion” that can be provoked by anunderlying medical condition. Both anxiety and delirium can occur inhospitalized patients in an intensive care unit (ICU), progressive“step-down” medical floors, and general medical floors.

Many medical conditions can provoke significant anxiety. A pertinentexample in the ICU setting is as follows: an elderly nursing homepatient overdoses on pain medication, develops unconsciousness, and thenaspirates food contents into the trachea and lung. The patient isemergently brought by emergency medical services (EMS) to the nearestemergency room (ER). This patient may require intubation and be placedon a mechanical ventilator (i.e., breathing machine) to facilitatebreathing and oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. During intubation, a tubeis inserted through the vocal cords preventing the patient from speakingIn addition, the patient is usually hand restrained to preventaccidentally pulling the life-sustaining tube out of her mouth. Theabove condition necessitates the patient to have a bed position that hasthe patient invariably looking up at a white-tiled ceiling or the like.In addition, ambient noise from other ICU patients' noise,ventilator/cardiac alarm noise, and conversation noise also contributeto a less than calming and peaceful “healing” environment. Many studieshave shown that a typical ICU bed can have noise >75 db. This can leadto sleep deprivation over several days, which can result in alteredconscious states and further anxiety and delirium.

Nursing and other medical staff personnel may make “bedside” attempts toreorient and calm a patient, but these good-intentioned efforts often donot lead to the desired result of a calm, cooperative, and orientedpatient in the ICU or other hospital floors. Furthermore, these effortsare time-consuming, costly, and often ineffective due to staffingconstraints and priorities. In addition, often there is a languagebarrier between the patient and the nurse/medical personnel potentiallyleading to significant more patient anxiety and confusion. The abovefactors can lead to a recurrent cycle of anxiety and delirium that isvery difficult to break on a practical basis. As a consequence, nursingand medical staff personnel are unfortunately then necessitated to useintravenous (IV) anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic medications that havepotential significant side effects. These side effects often includehypotension, lethal cardiac arrhythmias, electrolyte imbalance, and evenfurther confusion paradoxically. In addition, several ICU peer-reviewed,evidence-based medical studies and clinical trials have demonstratedthat unnecessary sedation medications lead to significant increasedlength of stay in the ICU, prolonged time on life support breathingmachines, and significantly more costs in the thousands of dollars.Unfortunately, due to health care systems' limitations on nursing topatient staffing ratio and hospital financial constraints, constant“bedside” care to minimize anxiety or delirium risk factors have notbeen optimal.

If a patient improves in the ICU or other medical floor, the patient canpotentially become more interactive with their environment and staff. Atthis point, the patient can be fully aware and cooperative with others.Unfortunately, many illnesses and just being in a hospital setting canlead to an anxious or even depressed mood. Often patients are spendingcountless hours waiting for tests to be done. Without connections tooutside the hospital environment, patients can become bored, isolated,and detached.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a computer system is provided for a patient in amedical facility comprising a computer having a central processing unit(CPU) for executing machine instructions comprising a passive module anda memory for storing machine instructions that are to be executed by theCPU. The machine instructions when executed by the CPU implement thefollowing functions: receiving patient-specific content, formatting thepatient-specific content into content pages to form a looped contentsegment, and transmitting the looped content segment for display to thepatient.

In another embodiment, a computer viewing apparatus is provided forconnection to a hospital bed. The apparatus comprises a repositionableflexible arm assembly including conductive wires contained therein toconnect a computer to a power source, a flexible spine at leastpartially surrounding the wires that includes a number of interconnectedand universally rotatable members, and a sleeve engaging an outersurface of each of the rotatable members. The apparatus furthercomprises an anchoring member at a first end of the flexible arm thatattaches the flexible arm to the hospital bed, and a connection memberat a second end of the flexible arm that attaches the computer to theflexible arm.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for reorienting, reducinganxiety and/or reduce risk factors for delirium in a patient in amedical facility in a state of intermittent or decreased consciousnessby displaying content to the patient on a screen that is connected to abed on which the patient is located. The method comprises the steps oftransmitting patient-specific content to a display screen including anidentification of the patient and a medical status of the patient, andlooping the patient-specific content in a display loop to reorient,reduce anxiety, and reduce risk factors for delirium in the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are perspective views of a hospital bed with acomputer to facilitate reorientation and reduce anxiety and deliriumrisk in a patient, wherein the computer is attached to the hospital bedby a flexible arm, and the computer is shown in a first position (FIG. 1a) with the patient in a prone position and a second position (FIG. 1 b)with the patient in an upright position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the computer of FIG. 1 mounted on aconnection member at one end of the flexible arm according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional, cut-away view of the computer and theconnection member taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the computer mounted on a connection memberaccording to another embodiment, also depicting an anchoring member onthe other end of the flexible arm that connects the arm to the bed;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional, cut-away view of the computer and theconnection member taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 a-f are screen shots of various example content pages displayedby the computer in which content is communicated from the CPU to thepatient to help reorient and reduce anxiety in the patient;

FIG. 7 a is a screen shot of an interactive menu displayed by thecomputer operating an active module in which the CPU and the patientcommunicate interactively, the menu providing example activity optionsfor the patient;

FIG. 7 b is a screen shot of an interactive menu displayed by thecomputer operating in the active module, the menu providing examplehospital information selections;

FIG. 7 c is a screen shot of an interactive menu displayed by thecomputer operating in the active module, the menu providing exampleselections for a pneumonia diagnosis for the patient;

FIG. 7 d is a screen shot of an interactive menu displayed by thecomputer operating in the active module, the menu providing exampleselections for an atrial fibrillation diagnosis for the patient;

FIG. 7 e is a screen shot of an interactive menu displayed by thecomputer operating in the active module, the menu providing examplecommunication and activity selections for the patient; and

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are screen shots of an example interface on thecomputer for a video call and video conference, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. Itis to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplaryof the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms.The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may beexaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components.Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed by theApplicant are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention.

The embodiments described herein relate to a computer system, apparatus,and method for reorienting, decreasing anxiety, and/or reducing deliriumrisk throughout the course of a patient's hospital stay. Offering apatient specific, non-pharmacological method for reorienting anddecreasing patient anxiety may avoid the potentially significantlycostly and life threatening effects of medications. In the ICU setting,for example, a passive approach to reorienting the patient and/orimproving their anxiety and delirium may be taken. As a patientrecovers, embodiments may provide a more interactive/active approach toimproving the patient's anxiety, boredom, and detachment from theoutside hospital environment, as well as enhancing the overall patientexperience.

Referring to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, a hospital bed 10 is depicted for apatient to rest on while being treated at a hospital or other medicalfacility. A computer 12 is attached to the bed 10. The computer 12 maybe an IPAD or IPOD computer (by Apple Inc.), a TABLET computer (poweredby ANDROID OS operating system), a PLAYBOOK computer (by Blackberry),and/or other hand-held computers or displays (such as a television) withor without an accompanying touchscreen. The computer 12 has a centralprocessing unit (CPU) that executes machine instructions, and a memoryfor storing the machine instructions that are to be executed by the CPU.As will be described in further detail, the computer 12 is programmed tofacilitate in reorienting, decreasing anxiety, and/or reducing deliriumrisk in patients. As patients are sometimes unconscious while they aretransported to the hospital, or after a medical procedure, or by virtueof their medical condition, patients can be very confused anddisoriented when they wake up in a hospital bed. The patients can beanxious about their environment and current medical condition. Thescreen of the computer 12 faces the patient so that the computer 12 canreorient/calm the patient during periods of consciousness.

The computer 12 may be mounted to a connection member 14. The face ofcomputer connection member 14 may be larger in length and width than thecomputer 12 that it holds. The computer connection member 14 may have asoothing color (e.g., soft blue) or shape (e.g., oval/rounded), so thatwhen the patient awakes from unconsciousness the computer 12 isaesthetically pleasing and calming to the patient. In one embodiment,the connection member 14 is mounted to one end of a flexible arm 16. Theflexible arm 16 is able to be bent and repositioned to a new shape,while rigid enough to maintain that shape. For example, the flexible arm16 can be easily bent and rotated by the patient or another person sothat the computer 12 is within or out of the patient's view and/orreach. In addition, the flexible arm 16 with the computer 12 can easilyand quickly be moved to a position that could allow unobstructed routineand emergent care of the patient. An anchoring member 18 mounts the arm16 to the bed 10, and is located on the opposite end of the arm 16 fromthe computer 12. The anchoring member 18 may be a removable and flexibleC-clamp, O-clamp, or other attachment enabling the arm 16 to beefficiently removed from the hospital bed 10. The anchoring member 18and attached arm 16 may be configured to be able to slide lengthwisealong the hospital bed 10, as depicted in FIG. 1. The anchoring member18 may alternatively be otherwise secured to the bed 10 so that the arm16 is fixedly secured to the bed 10, or the arm 16 may be integrallyformed with the bed 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in one embodiment, the computer 12 isreceived within the connection member 14 and secured underneath a cover13 which extends at least partially over the computer 12. For example,the cover 13 may extend over a frame portion of the computer 12 whileallowing obstructed access to a screen portion of the computer 12. Thecover 13 may be formed of transparent plastic or any other suitablematerial, and may be received under a lip 15 of the connection member 14so as to secure the computer 12 to the connection member 14. Of course,other configurations for holding the cover 13 in position with respectto the connection member 14 are also contemplated, and it is alsounderstood that cover 13 is not required. In another example, a sleeveor the like may be provided as a connection member 14 to receive thecomputer 12, such that in this case the face of the connection member 14is substantially similar in length and width to the computer 12. Accessports (not shown) may be provided around the connection member 14 toallow access to different computer buttons or computer ports if needed.The arm 16 is attached to the connection member 14 and is described infurther detail below.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, computer fasteners 22 areshown disposed at positions around the perimeter of computer 12. Thefasteners 22 are scalable vertically and horizontally, and attached tothe connection member 14. This enables the fasteners 22 and connectionmember 14 to accommodate for various sizes and types of computers 12 aspreviously described. There may also be hook and loop or other fasteningmeans to further or alternatively secure the computer 12 to theconnection member 14.

The arm 16 may be made of a number of separate rotatable members 24.These members 24 may interlock with one another, and are eachindividually rotatable. The implementation of interlocking members 24 ina flexible arm 16 in a hospital room setting allows the computer 12 tobe positioned in various angles and positions relative to the patient'shospital bed, and not merely limited to one or two axes of rotation. Thecomputer 12 may be initially positioned in front of and above thepatient, as illustrated in FIG. 1 a, so that the computer 12 is one ofthe first items the patient sees when he becomes conscious. The computer12 may subsequently be repositioned so that the computer 12 is notfacing the patient, but rather facing a doctor or other third party toview and operate. Also, as the patient may later use the computer 12while the patient is conscious, the flexible arm 16 allows the patientto reposition the computer 12 to multiple locations and distances fromthe patient's body (FIG. 1 b). A sleeve 26 surrounds the outer portionof the interlocked members 24. Conductive wires (not shown) may be fedwithin the sleeve 26 so as to be hidden from plain view. The wiresconnect the computer 12 to a power source (not shown) through a walloutlet, for example.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the scalable fasteners 22 are shown indetail. The scalability of the fasteners 22 may be accomplished by abolt 30 and groove 32 combination. A bolt 30 is assembled through agroove 32 of the fastener 22, and into the connection member 14. Whenthe bolt 30 is slightly loosened, the fasteners 22 can slide along thebolt 30 until a desired location is met, and the bolt 30 is tightenedagain to fix the fasteners 22 in place. Other scalable or slidablemechanisms known in the art may be substituted for the bolt 30 andgroove 32 combination in order for the connection member 14 toaccommodate various sizes and types of computers 12.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, the computer 12 includes a program that mayexecute a passive module and/or an active module. These modules may becontained within an app that can downloaded from an electronicstorefront including apps, such as the APP STORE by Apple Inc. It isunderstood that any operating system platform could be used to implementthe passive and active modules. The passive module is illustrated inFIGS. 6 a thru 6 f. The passive module may initiate and operate whilethe patient is in the intensive care unit (ICU) or “step-down ICU”setting. Patients in these environments are sometimes streamingintermittently between unconscious and varying levels of consciousness.The patient may intermittently awaken for split second or longer. Thispatient may wonder, for example, “Where am I? What date is this? Whatseason is this? Have I been unconscious for a long time? Am I in a coma?Why can't I speak? What is my condition? What happened to me? Where ismy family? Does my family know I'm here?” During these brief consciousmoments, there is often no same-language speaking nurse or medical staffpersonnel present at the bedside to provide answers to these potentialquestions. As a result, there is no consistent bedside method to helpreduce anxiety and to assist with reorientation to the patient's name,hospital location, time, date, season, “non-speaking” status, and theircurrent serious medical condition, for example. In addition, familymembers are often not available to constantly be at their bedside tohelp with this reorientation and anxiety-reducing process. As a result,the patient may feel alone, anxious and can become disoriented,confused, and/or can subsequently develop delirium. In addition, thispsychological condition can produce physiological responses such aselevated heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate which canmislead medical staff caregivers that a change in medical condition hasdeveloped. Unfortunately, this potential misinterpretation can lead tothe ordering of many emergency medical tests and medications that canhave iatrogenic effects.

The passive module of computer operation is an aid to reorient andreduce anxiety until the patient regains full or partial consciousness,orientation, and a calm/non-anxious state. A doctor, nurse, or othercaregiver may input some basic patient-specific information into thecomputer. This patient-specific information may include anidentification of the patient (such as, but not limited to, thepatient's name, age, and birthdate), the location of the patient (suchas, but not limited to, the hospital name, city, and state), thediagnosis or medical status of the patient, and the native language thatthe patient speaks and reads. Other third parties, such as familymembers of the patient, may also send information to the computer, suchas personal photographs, videos, or music. This can be accomplished bydirectly downloading the content from the internet to the computer, orby transferring the content onto the computer wirelessly through radiowaves (e.g., BLUETOOTH/Wi-Fi).

The patient-specific content is received and processed by the CPU of thecomputer 12. Then, during the operation of the passive module, thecomputer 12 communicates to the patient by displaying this informationon the computer screen. In one embodiment, the patient-specific contentis native language-specific. The information may be displayed on asingle content page or throughout multiple content pages, as shown inFIGS. 6 a thru 6 f. FIG. 6 a shows the computer 12 displaying thepatient's name. FIG. 6 b shows the computer 12 displaying the physicallocation of the patient. In FIG. 6 c, the computer 12 displays themedical status of patient as diagnosed by the doctor, such as “You havea severe concussion,” or “You have pneumonia.” Certain other importantand specific information is displayed in FIG. 6 d, such as “You cannotspeak,” or “You are on a respirator,” or “Your family is on their way.”In FIG. 6 e, the computer displays the current date, and may alsodisplay the day and time. For example, the passive module may indicatethe general or specific time of day (e.g., with a sun or moon icon, suchas shown in FIG. 6 e, or with an actual a.m. or p.m. time) in an effortto help establish day/night cycle orientation for the patient. FIG. 6 fshows the computer displaying a personalized family photograph uploadedonto the computer from the doctor, a family member, or some other thirdparty. It should be understood that the content and order of theseFigures are merely exemplary, and more or less patient-specific contentor a different order may be used; these are examples of content pagesthat are helpful for reorienting and reducing anxiety until a patientregains partial or full consciousness, orientation, and acalm/non-anxious state. In addition, the order in which the contentpages are displayed can be customized and selected by a caregiver.

As described, the patient-specific content may be displayed throughoutmultiple content pages on the screen. These content pages may be loopedin a continuous loop. As it is unpredictable when many patients willregain consciousness, the continuous loop assures that at any point ofthe loop the patient may be reoriented and have his/her anxiety reduceduntil the patient regains full or partial consciousness, orientation,and/or a calm/non-anxious state. For example, in one embodiment, theentire loop is about two minutes long. Within the “app” or passivemodule, this time is adjustable to a longer or shorter time, dependingon the condition of the patient. If, for example, the patient is in andout of consciousness/alertness, each content page may be displayed for alonger period of time to decrease the speed of the content pagerevolution in the loop. In this fashion, the computer system can betterattempt to reorient the patient by allowing him to focus on a particularcontent page and process the information presented for the short perioduntil the patient has regained consciousness with a higher level ofalertness and less anxious state. Each content page may alternatively bedisplayed for a shorter amount of time, such as when the patient isconscious for longer periods of time. The duration of each content pagemay also be customized, such that certain content pages may have longerdwell times than others, perhaps depending on the type or amount ofinformation presented on a particular content page. Visual aids may beprovided for patients with poor sight capabilities.

Often, due to various hospital environments and other factors,hospitalized patients may not be oriented to day and night hours. As aresult, the day and night sleep cycle may be shifted leading topotentially anxiety and delirium. One embodiment, would be have a“daytime program” with, but not limited to, awakening sounds, orbrighter video images/cues to establish daytime orientation. Likewise, a“nighttime program” with soothing sounds and dimmer videoimages/sequences can be automatically programmed. By reestablishing,appropriate day and night cycles, anxiety and delirium can potentiallybe reduced. This can be implemented automatically within the activemodule.

Audio may also be provided that corresponds to the loop of contentpages. For example, spoken words may read what is shown on the screen ofthe computer 12. In one embodiment, the audio is selected to be in thenative language of the patient. The audio may be directly output by thecomputer 12 through its own internal speakers, or the audio may beoutput to external speakers or stereo wireless/BLUETOOTH headphonesplaced on the patient. The audio may also be in a soothing voice tone.This may further reorient the patient and reduce anxiety, especiallywhile the patient is semi-conscious or otherwise unable to focus or seecomputer 12 clearly. In addition, calm music (i.e., waterfall, oceanwaves, etc.) may stream continuously through stereo wireless headphones,facilitating decreased anxiety. Other music selections such as, forexample, native ethnic music can also be provided for selection by acaregiver or other user. Noise cancellation “sound sequence” programscan also be implemented. This music/sound stream will help to blockambient noise in the ICU or other hospital units and facilitate thereorienting process.

If a patient improves in the ICU or other medical floor, the patient canpotentially become more interactive with their environment and staff. Atthis point, the patient can be fully aware and cooperative with others.Unfortunately, many illnesses and just being in a hospital setting canlead to an anxious or even depressed mood. Often patients are spendingcountless hours waiting for tests to be done. Without connections to theoutside the hospital environment, patients can become bored, isolated,and detached.

Under such circumstances, the computer 12 may execute an active modulerather than the passive module. The active module and the passive modulecan either be independent of each other or packaged together, and thesemodules can be contained within an app that can downloaded from anelectronic storefront including apps, such as the APP STORE from AppleInc. The functional switch from the passive module to the active modulemay be implemented by a nurse, for example. The patient may rotate thecomputer 12 and the flexible arm 16 so that the patient may utilize thetouch screen on the computer 12. Throughout the operation of the activemodule, the patient's touch and interactive input plays a role in theprocess of reducing anxiety, depressed mood, and boredom. The activemodule also begins to take a role of a concierge-type service.

Referring to FIGS. 7 a-7 e and 8, the computer 12 is shown operating theactive module. In FIG. 7 a, the computer 12 displays an interactive menufrom which the patient can choose options. For instance, thetouch-screen of the computer 12 may provide the patient with the optionsto relax by listening to music, to listen to soothing sounds from nature(e.g., waves at the beach), or to look at pictures. The patient may alsobe able to choose to surf the internet, browse online videos, or learnmore about the hospital in which the patient is located (FIG. 7 b). Dueto a patient potentially feeling depressed about their condition,integrated or links to comedy vignettes can help to uplift patientspirits and detract from their illness.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 c and 7 d, the patient may be able to directthe interactive menu to instruct the computer 12 to show informationabout his/her own condition. Videos of the patient's personal illness,the side effects, and other treatment information may be at the viewingcontrol of the patient. “On-demand” patient-specific educational videosmay also be selected by the patient. Some examples include, but are notlimited to, how to use an asthma inhaler, how to administer insulin, howto take warfarin/coumadin, etc. Current television or education videosin the hospital are not “on demand” and do not often coincide to when apatient is available to watch in their hospital room. As shown in FIG. 7e, the patient may also learn more about the food and pharmaceuticalstores in the surrounding area outside of the particular hospital. Thiscan function as a concierge-type service—for example, the patient canpotentially quickly order a pizza or anxiety—reducing spa services thatcan be performed in the hospital room. In addition, the patient can finda local drug store that can fill the patient's prescriptions whenleaving the hospital. This information can be relayed to family membersto aid in the patient's health care recovery. This is also an avenue bywhich businesses can advertise their services to the patient and his/herfamily.

Often, many family members are not able to visit their loved ones in thehospital due to geographic differences. For example, a close familymember in California may not be able to directly speak or visualize thecondition of the patient in Michigan. As a result, medical decisionmaking may not be optimal without a family member able to aid in thisprocess. Accordingly, with reference to FIGS. 7 e and 8, one embodimentof the active module in computer 12 may implement a “video cam” functionthat would allow the patient to interact visually with a next ofkin/other family member to guide medical decision making In addition,medical care personnel would also be able initiate a video conferencewith a geographically remote durable power of attorney/legal guardianwith the patient and physicians/nurses at the patient bedside.Currently, this mode of communication between the patient and his/herfamily members and medical personnel is not readily available orutilized. In one embodiment, a specific app/source code within the iOS(Apple Inc.) called FACETIME app could facilitate this two way videoconference interaction between an IPAD/IPOD and computer and beimplemented within the active module. Such a module integrated andinteractive capability may serve to decrease a patient's anxiety whenmaking important end of life or other serious decisions regarding apatient's health.

FIGS. 6-8 do not depict an exhaustive list of content or optionsavailable to the patient. For example, the patient may also be able toplay a game or select a different language for the computer 12 tocommunicate with the patient. The patient may also select an option thatdisplays a “virtual nurse” that can direct the patient to informationabout his/her condition in a personal way or to guide the patient on howto use and interact with the active module and system. It is understoodthat content described with reference to the passive or active modulemay be appropriate for use with the other, and the active module mayalso display patient-specific information from the passive module in anappropriate format, such as adjacent menu options. After choosing any ofthe options available, the patient may return to the interactive menu bysimply pressing an on-screen button that directs the computer 12 back tothe menu.

A computer system with an active module, such as the system describedherein, may aid the patient to a more rapid recovery. The interactionbetween the computer 12 and the patient allows the patient to not onlydecrease anxiety, but also serves to increase patient satisfaction fortheir “consumer experience” in the hospital. This can lead to morepatient loyalty to a particular hospital. Local restaurants and storescan advertise for their services through the computer 12. For example,the patient may look at the map of the surrounding areas, and the localbusinesses may advertise by placing their logo on their correspondinglocation on the map with a web link. The above features implementedwithin the active module can offer concierge-type consumer experiencefor the patient and his/her family while the patient is stillhospitalized.

In one embodiment, a database server and database (not shown) may alsobe provided. The database server is adapted to communicate with multiplecomputers 12 and CPUs within the hospital. Each computer 12 is given itsown identification so that the server can directly communicate with eachdedicated computer 12 individually. This provides the hospital with theability to better manage each computer's content from one location. Forexample, hospital employees, may input and transmit patient-specificcontent to the database, which then transmits the content to thecorresponding computer 12 associated with the specified patient. Otherpermitted remote users, such as family members of patients, may be giventhe ability to access the database server remotely, and upload pictures,messages, videos, or audio files to the server. The server thentransmits this data to the patient's specific computer for the patientto access during use of the active or passive module. Remote users maybe given a password that allows them to access a limited portion of thedatabase so that the remote users can only send content to thedesignated computer that is used by the intended recipient patient.Peer-to-peer sharing of content between computers 12, such as fortransferring patient-specific content between computers 12 when apatient is moved between the ICU, step-down ICU/progressive care units,general medical floor is also contemplated.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended thatthese embodiments describe all possible forms of the disclosure. Rather,the words used in the specification are words of description rather thanlimitation, and it is understood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of reorienting, reducing anxiety and/orreducing risk factors for delirium in a patient in a medical facility ina state of intermittent or decreased consciousness by displaying contentto the patient on a screen that is connected to a bed on which thepatient is located, the method comprising the steps of: receivingpatient-specific and non-patient-specific content; formatting thepatient-specific content and the non-patient-specific content into aseries of content pages to form a looped content segment, the series ofcontent pages including first, second and third reorientation messagesbased on the patient-specific content and non-patient-specific content,one of the first, second or third reorientation messages includes a nameof the patient, another of the first, second or third reorientationmessages include a location of the patient, and the remaining of thefirst, second or third reorientation messages includes the diagnosis ofthe patient; transmitting the looped content segment for sequentialdisplay of the first, second and third patient reorientation messages tothe patient during a period of unconsciousness of the patient followedby a period of consciousness of the patient to reorient, reduce anxiety,and reduce risk factors for delirium in the patient.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transmitting step is carried out continuously. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein at least one other message isinterspersed among the first, second and third reorientation messages.4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting alanguage selection such that the loop transmitting step is communicatedin the selected language from a plurality of languages.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising transmitting time of day information toreorient the patient to a correct day and night cycle.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the patient-specific content includes a digital pictureof the patient.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of contentpages includes a fourth reorientation message including a current timeor date that is displayed as part of the sequence of the looped contentsegment.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating thetransmitting step while the patient is located in an intensive careunit.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step furtheroccurs during the period of unconsciousness and the period ofconsciousness.
 10. A method of reorienting, reducing anxiety and/orreducing risk factors for delirium in a patient in a medical facility ina state of intermittent or decreased consciousness by displaying contentto the patient on a screen that is connected to a bed on which thepatient is located, the method comprising the steps of: receivingpatient-specific content including the patient's name andnon-patient-specific content including the facility name housing thepatient and the current time or date; formatting the patient-specificcontent and the non-patient-specific content into a series ofreorientation content pages to form a looped content segment; andtransmitting the looped content display segment for sequential displayof the series of reorientation content pages to the patient during aperiod of unconsciousness of the patient followed by a period ofconsciousness of the patient to reorient, reduce anxiety, and reducerisk factors for delirium in the patient.
 11. The method of claim 10,wherein the transmitting step further occurs during one or moreintervals of unconsciousness of the patient.
 12. The method of claim 10,wherein the patient-specific content includes a digital picture of thepatient.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating thetransmitting step while the patient is located in an intensive careunit.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting step iscarried out continuously.
 15. A method of reorienting, reducing anxietyand/or reducing risk factors for delirium in a patient in a medicalfacility in a state of intermittent or decreased consciousness bydisplaying content to the patient on a screen that is connected to a bedon which the patient is located, the method comprising the steps of:receiving patient-specific content and non-patient-specific content;formatting the patient-specific content and the non-patient-specificcontent into a series of content pages to form a looped content segment,the series of content pages including first, second, third and fourthreorientation messages based on the patient-specific content andnon-patient-specific content, one of the first, second or thirdreorientation messages includes a name of the patient, another of thefirst, second or third reorientation messages include a location of thepatient, and the remaining of the first, second or third reorientationmessages includes the diagnosis of the patient; and transmitting thelooped content segment for sequential display of the first, second,third and fourth patient reorientation messages to the patient during aperiod of unconsciousness followed by a period of consciousness of thepatient to reorient, reduce anxiety, and reduce risk factors fordelirium in the patient.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein thetransmitting step further occurs during the period of unconsciousnessand the period of consciousness.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein thepatient-specific content includes a digital picture of the patient. 18.The method of claim 15, further comprising initiating the transmittingstep while the patient is located in an intensive care unit.
 19. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step is carried out two ormore times.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first reorientationmessage is the patient's name, the second reorientation message is thepatient's location, the third reorientation message is the patient'scondition and the fourth reorientation message is the current date andtime.